Cleaning Facts

These household cleaning tips will make cleaning your home easier and faster saving you time and money.

Using hairspray to clean a countertop, wall or wallpaper works fabulously. Lightly spray the hairspray onto the surface to treat and let it sit for a few seconds. Then, just wipe away. Repeat if necessary.

The best and most efficient way to clean mini-blinds is to use a lamb’s wool duster. Close the blinds and gently sweep the entire surface starting at the top. If this is done regularly, there is no need to do anything more involved.

Mildew is a nuisance in many parts of the country, and even vinyl siding provides a suitable surface for it to grow. To remove, mix a cup of household bleach into a gallon of water and apply the mix with a pump sprayer. Let the solution sit for about five minutes, taking caution to not let it dry out. Then pull out a hose and rinse the siding thoroughly from top to bottom using fresh water. Bleach can harm plants, so protect them by spraying their leaves with clear water before and after you treat the siding.

To preserve and protect exterior doors and trim without hiding the wood’s beauty, do what boaters do: use marine varnish. Also known as spar varnish, the high oil content of this finish coating makes it more flexible than other clear finishes. And marine varnish contains ultraviolet inhibitors, which act as a sunscreen to preserve the finish.

Never use disinfectants to clean a refrigerator. The food inside will pick up the taste and odor of the cleaning solution. Warm soapy water works well and is a less harmful choice.

Before a major cleaning session, take stock of your cleaning supplies. Don’t wait until you’re about to clean the oven to find out you don’t have any oven cleaner left. Have everything you need on hand and ready to go for a smooth time.

Cleaning scuff marks off a vinyl floor can be a real chore. But, using an art gum eraser (the tan one you used in school) or a pink pearl eraser makes the job simple and easy.

For odors coming from the garbage disposal, drop a bunch of ice cubes and a cup of vinegar in it. Run for a minute or so. The ice will scour the blades to get rid of stuck-on stuff, and the vinegar will kill germs.

Phones, switch plates and doorknobs get dirty and grimey on a regular basis. To clean them quickly, just put a little rubbing alcohol on a soft cloth and wipe. It cleans and disinfects all of those areas in no time.

Clean the inside of the dishwasher once a month. Use some lemonade mix to fill the soap cup and then run it through a cycle. The citric acid in the lemonade will clean the racks, the jets and the interior walls.

Use newspapers to clean the windows of your house. It’s a lot cheaper than paper towels, and the ink is a polishing agent that won’t streak.

Although many homeowners use a sponge when washing dishes, washcloths are easier to launder. Just remember if you use a sponge to sanitize it periodically in a hot water and bleach mixture to prevent germs from collecting inside.

To freshen the air in your home, put a few drops of lemon juice in your vacuum bag when you change it. The fresh smell will spread throughout the house when you vacuum.

If you rub some waxed paper on your countertops and appliances after you clean, it will give them a nice, shiny finish and help repel dust and dirt.

To get your windows to really shine, mix a solution of half vinegar and half water and pour into a spray bottle. This should remove grit and grime from windows with little effort. To minimize lint, wipe windows clean with newspaper, coffee filters or a cloth diaper.

To avoid cluttering countertops, store small appliances such as blenders and mixers or spices and cooking items out of sight keeping the countertops clean. It will make your kitchen seem a lot more spacious.

Never use a wet mop on a wood floor. Squeeze out as much of the water as possible before beginning this chore.

To remove musty smells from a cabinet or piece of furniture, fill plastic containers with white vinegar and punch holes in the top. Putting one container in each drawer overnight absorbs odors.